An Enchanting Valentine's Evening
by Erin Cummins
Summary: I wrote this a part of a Valentine's Day Challenge in a Yahoo Group. Advanced warning this is a Mary Sue fic because it was part of a challenge. Hope it's enjoyable though.


_Mental note to self: Be sure to plot and exact revenge of some kind on friends for dragging me here._

The whole Valentine's Day thing never was my cup of tea, so to speak.  Here though were my friends dragging me to a Valentine's Day Eve silent auction in the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel.  Thankfully the one's paying the money for the auction were the one's being auctioned off.  Good thing too because being a soon to be college graduate and Graduate student I had literally been flat broke recently.  What made things worse was that they had their own dates with them, so it wasn't as if they needed to be there.  As I kicked and clawed my way into trying not to go they made it their claim to say they were doing this for my own good and that I'd thank them later for it.  Little did I know I would, but of course at the time I wasn't exactly in the most pleasant mood.  Now as I shuffled into the enormous ballroom I caught my first glimpse at the decorations.  Decorated like typical past Valentine's Day's the ballroom had exploded into vast pinks and reds.  Pink and red streamers hung from the ceiling and walls, while pink and red balloons were tied to each table.  Pink and red hearts had also been alternated for each place setting as napkins.  Finding a random table to sit at, my friends yanked me down into one of the seats confirming there was no way I was squirming out of this night.

As if things couldn't possibly get any worse, I noticed the sign by the stage listed the "victims" to be auctioned off.  As my eyes scanned the sign from left to right I realized that these "victims" were none other than three of the four Ghostbusters.  While Dr. Egon Spengler appeared to have shown up with Janine Melnitz, the secretary to the Ghostbusters, as his date, Winston Zeddemore and Dr.'s Raymond Stantz and Peter Venkman appeared to be dateless.  What made knowing three of the four Ghostbusters to be the "meat" auctioned off worse though was the fact that I had always harbored a crush on Dr. Venkman.  From articles in the Times he made himself to be a very confident man, something I greatly admired.  So when he and his other fellow Ghostbusters finally took the stage I was baffled as to how a man like him could be flying solo tonight without a date.

"Alright ladies, first up on the auctioning block is Dr. Peter Venkman. The bidding will start at fifty dollars," the auctioneer announced approaching the podium.

I cracked a smile at seeing Peter mouth something to the auctioneer.  My guess was that he was complaining he was worth more than fifty initial dollars.  My smile faded though when one of my friends elbowed me.

"Erin bid on him," Kate whispered as the bidding got underway.

"No way, Kate, and for these reasons. With the way my luck runs I'd lose and once again remain dateless. I also seem to recall telling you Valentine's Day is not my thing and that I didn't even want to be here."

"Well fine, if you won't then I will for you," she smiled beginning to extend her hand into the air.

"No, Kate!" I pleaded tugging on her dress.

She simply smiled as she continued stretching her hand into the air.  "Five hundred for my friend here!"

"We have five hundred dollars for the young woman in the sleeveless black dress. Going once? Going twice? Sold! To the young woman in the sleeveless black dress."

 I shot my friend a nervous glare as I made my way to the stage, muttering to her, "I'll get you for this."

By the time I had approached the stage Peter was already waiting at the bottom of the center steps.  Taking one look into the dark green eyes we shared as a common physical trait I noticed his were fixed on mine in an intense stare, which almost made my knee's go weak.  I managed to steady my legs as I smiled at him.

"Erin Cummins," I replied, trying not to sound nervous, extending my hand out to him.

He took the palm of my hand into his and tenderly kissed it sending my face into a full blush as he escorted the two of us to an empty table waiting for Ray and Winston to get sold off before any dancing commenced.  

"Pleasure to meet you."

We chatted while watching Ray and Winston try and get sold off to other lucky women.  I couldn't help but chuckle a little at seeing Ray so nervous.  I remembered reading from other article's as well that the occultist and youngest Ghosbuster wasn't exactly as out spoken with the ladies as Peter could be.

"Is Dr. Stantz always like that?" I asked curiously, making sure I maintained some formality.

"Yeah, Tex is a good kid though. He'll find who he's supposed to be with someday soon."

"I've heard how tight you guys are. I certainly wish I had friends like that."

"I'm sure you've had at least one friend that you were as close with as me and the guys are." Peter answered.

"Well I did have one friend I was close with growing up, but when we were both eleven her family moved away to Colorado. I tried keeping in touch with her, but we eventually lost touch."

Eventually Ray and Winston were successfully sold to two other very luck women – not that it wouldn't have happened period; Ray and Winston were just as handsome and attractive as Peter – and the band that was hired began playing a slow song to kick off the rest of the evening.

"Beautiful necklace you have there," he commented, his eyes never leaving mine as we made our way to the dance floor, but slightly nodding to the necklace I had decided to wear that night.

I lifted it up off my neck using a couple fingers.  "Oh, this? I got this from my older half brother and his fiancée as a Christmas gift one year.  It's a Celtic knot with Smokey quartz. It's supposed to symbolize friendship and love."  I could tell as soon as I mentioned the word Celtic he grew a little hesitant knowing I came from an Irish background.  Not that I blamed him after reading about him becoming under a Banshee's spell.  "Don't worry I'm not going to enslave you to my will or put you under a spell like that Banshee you and your friends fought."

His worry disappeared in an instant.  In its place was the famous charming grin he was known for.  I couldn't help but smile as he leaned his mouth right up to my ear.  "You already have though."

As we danced I felt the sudden urge to just be alone with him.  He must've felt or sensed it the same thing as well because I felt his strong, masculine hands gently pull the two of us apart and take me at arms length.  He stood me at arms length for a moment or two both of our dark green eyes staring into the others.

"Let's get out of here," he finally whispered.

We eventually ended up at Rockefeller Center where couples were happily ice-skating.  Picking up rentals for two pairs of ice skates we joined the many pairs of happy New Yorkers.

"So tell me about yourself?" he asked as we skated around, hands interlaced.

I shrugged a little.  "Not a whole lot to tell. I was born and raised in Maryland. I come from a divorced family. I have an older half brother as well as a younger brother and sister."

"So why'd you move out here to New York?"

I smiled.  "Needed a change of scenery."

"Tell me more about your Irish background."

"Well, my name Erin is literally translated into Ireland and the phrase Erin Go Bragh means Ireland Forever. In fact my name can also be dated back to an Irish Goddess by the name of Eire."  I paused for a moment as we continued skating.  "My turn to ask a question."

"Fire away."

"You've lived in New York all your life. What's your favorite New York moment?"

He playfully paused to pretend to think about it for a moment.  "This one's climbing the charts."

A while later we found ourselves back at the firehouse.  The garage was still vacant of Ecto, the converted ambulance, which meant that the only resident in the firehouse would be Slimer.  We made our way up to the living room area where Peter told me to make myself comfortable on the couch while he went into the kitchen to fix drinks.  Now away from hoards of people we drank and chatted some more, exchanging more information about each other.  I nearly spilled my drink, however, when I heard a piercing cry and a green object swooping down to greet the psychologist.  I instantly recognized the green, putrid blob as Slimer.

"Peter's home!" Slimer happily cried

An icy glare and forceful, but not yelling, tone from the psychologist was all it took to keep Slimer at bay.  "Do it and die all over again, Slimer. Now scram."

I couldn't help but chuckle a little at how Peter handled the little green class five repeating free roaming vapor ghost.  Once Slimer had made his exit Peter glanced at me at hearing my chuckling.

"Sorry about that. He didn't scare you though?"

I took a moment to compose myself from my laughing.  "Not at all. Takes quite a bit to put me off."

When we finally both decided the time was getting late Peter began escorting me to the firehouse's double doors.  We both stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to the garage level for a moment just staring at each other again.

"I had a wonderful time tonight," he answered taking both my hands in his.  "Have a pleasant night," he added smiling.

"I had a wonderful time tonight too and you do the same as--,"

I found myself cut off as our lips crushed together, him planting a passionate kiss on my mouth.  My body racing with various feelings I wasn't even aware that my hand had gradually slipped around the back of Peter's neck for support with my fingers running through the hair on the back of his neck.  When we parted I found my hand still placed against the back of his neck, the fingers still moving up and down the hair against his neck.  I smiled sheepishly at a loss for words at how wonderful that kiss was so I just smiled.

"Well I'd better be going," I finally answered, giving him a smile indicating I thoroughly enjoyed the kiss.

As I turned to walk down the stairs towards the garage I felt his hand gently grab my arm again. Pulling me back towards him our lips crushed together again in an even longer passionate kiss.  His hands ran up and down my back as he pressed my body closer to his.  As the kiss lingered I could feel the cologne he had been wearing all night cover my whole body in its smell.  We were so caught up in our second kiss of the night that neither of us heard the soft purring of a car engine pull into the garage level of the firehouse.  It was when I heard a low bass voice clear it's throat that I opened an eye and pulled back from the kiss.

I looked over to see the three other Ghostbusters standing a few steps down staring up at the two of us.  Janine was absent from their company indicating Egon, Ray and Winston dropped her off earlier before heading back.  All three were grinning and I found myself blushing at the private moment being interrupted.  Peter though glanced quickly at Egon and smiled knowing his oldest friend understood the best at what he was probably feeling at how this night went for him.

"C'mon Pete they've got places for that kinda thing," Winston joked.

Peter never responded, but caught me by surprise again when he pulled me back in for a third kiss showing his three friends he could've cared less that they walked in on our kissing.  As I felt him dip me a little while we kissed for a third time, my hand still placed firmly behind his neck and fingers through his hair, I knew I'd be seeing a lot more of him and in the times to come.


End file.
